A Roaring Good Time
by CSIcorrespondent
Summary: Crossover with Criminal Minds, Jurassic Park and a dash of Tintin. Emily Prentiss never thought she would agree to an offer of a lifetime, but sometimes life throws you for a loop. Keep an open mind!
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Can you say worse title ever? Oh hey everyone, it's been awhile. I haven't written anything in about 3 years. I changed my goals and really bunkered down for school and it all paid off. My interests have changed, and this story is going to be a little crazy. I've wanted to continue writing for a while (non-scientifically) and I finally have the time, so I intend to finish this story. It's going be a little weird as I'm combining three different concepts, so try to keep an open mind and stay with it! All mistakes are my own._

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Criminal Minds, Tintin or Jurassic Park. No copyright infringement is intended, and this piece is a non-profit production of my crazy mind.**_

She was sitting in her London apartment watching BBC News when her phone rang. Although she no longer worked for the FBI, she still liked to answer with a brief utterance of her last name as a greeting.

"Yes, is this Emily Prentiss? Former FBI behavioural analyst and presently residing in London, England working for Interpol?" the curt, masculine voice asked.

She paused for a moment, caught off guard. "I'm sorry, but I can't confirm that to a perfect stranger. Who's calling?"

"Emily-I'm sorry, may I call you Emily?-My name is Dr. Ronald Wagner and I work for a company known as InGen, which you may be familiar with," the man explained. "I'm calling because I believe you may be interested in taking a temporary position on my team, one that I have cleared with Interpol."

"InGen you said?" Emily frowned. What could a failed dinosaur breeder want with her?

"Yes, you heard correctly. If you'd like, we could meet in about an hour to discuss the details of the position. We would really love to have you as a member of the team."

Emily stared at her phone, wishing she could run the number to verify the identity of the caller. A mysterious man calling her, offering her a job, and wanting to meet her sounded too threatening for her liking. "I'm not sure I-"

"Please Emily, I would love to meet you," Wagner said. "Tell you what, let's meet in a place that would be comfortable for you. How about your Interpol office in an hour? I spoke with your colleague Clyde Easter and he offered to let me use your conference room."

Emily stayed silent for a moment, pondering his offer. If Wagner was telling the truth and had spoken to Clyde, then there should be no reason not to meet him. And he was offering to meet her on her home territory, which slightly eased her mind. "Alright, I don't see why not."

"Perfect! I will see you in an hour Emily. You won't regret it." She heard a click, indicating the conversation was over. She instantly dialed a familiar number.

"You've reached the mother of all modern magic, how can I be of service?" The cheery voice made her heart skip a beat.

"Hello PG, it's been awhile," Emily answered, smiling as she heard a gasp on the other end.

"Emily! How have you been? I haven't heard from you since Derek and I came to visit you last year," Garcia exclaimed. "Wait, is this the moment I've been waiting for? You're marrying a sexy British man and you're calling me to be the maid of honor?"

"Not quite, but close," Emily laughed. "I know I haven't been great at keeping in touch, but I was hoping you might be able to help me out with something. Or rather, someone."

"My fingers are at your mercy former Agent Wonder Woman. What can I do for ya?"

"I just got a very enigmatic phone call from a Dr. Ronald Wagner. He's affiliated with a company called InGen. What can you tell me about him?" Emily asked. "Please, anything would be helpful."

"Your wish is my command. Wait, are we talking the same InGen that turned a mega dino park into a human feeding frenzy?" Garcia pulled up the information she needed in seconds on her monitor. "Because if we are, does this mean you're going to add being Wilma Flintstone to your resume?"

"Don't count on it," Emily replied, smirking at Garcia's comment. "Anything on him?"

"Dr. Ronald Baker Wagner, Vice President and COO of InGen. Raised in Munich, he earned a PhD in biology and genetic research from Yale in 1995, and worked his way up to become a partner and financer of John Hammond's multi-million dollar theme park gone wrong known as Jurassic Park," Garcia explained. "Dr. Wagner has recently published many articles on advancements he's made since the accidents on Isla Nublar."

"Great, can you access his phone record?" Emily asked. She needed to confirm that he had indeed call Interpol.

"Sweetie, you've been gone so long you forget my magic powers. Already done! Dr. Wagner placed 3 calls to London recently, two to private numbers which my secret sources have determined are located in the Interpol offices, and one to a Miss Emily Prentiss," Garcia chirped. "So he seems pretty legit! What's going on?"

Emily paused, realizing she didn't know the answer to that question. "I don't know, he called me and said he wanted to meet me and talk about a potential position he had for me. Offered to meet me at Interpol, and I wanted to check his references so to speak."

"Well you called the right person," Garcia said, tearing up slightly. "You know Em, we really miss you around here. I think Hotch-"

"Please Penelope, you know I don't want to talk about that. We agreed on happy thoughts only before you left, didn't we?" Her chest tightened at the mention of her former Unit Chief. Before she left, they had shared a dance. Although the moment had started out relaxed, Emily remembered the mixture of emotions she had felt when he pulled her closer and whispered into her ear that he wanted her to stay but knew she had to go. He had wished her all the luck in the world, and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek before he had released her hand with a look that had confused her even more.

"I know Em. You know how they say distance makes the heart grow fonder? Well I think my heart is at the fondest it can be right now." A noise beeped in the distance, and Emily knew the technical analyst was being summoned. "Oh darn, I have to go sweet pea. Promise me you'll call me later and dish the dirt on this mystery man?"

"You bet. I'll call you as soon as I can," Emily confirmed. "Love you PG, give my love to the team. And thanks for all your help."

"You can count on that sugar plum! Garcia over and out!"

Emily smiled as she hung up. Although she had left the FBI, she still treasured the time she had spent in Quantico. Some days she wondered if she had made a mistake, but usually tried to push that thought out of her mind.

She looked at the clock and realized she had to meet Wagner in less than half an hour. She was already dressed in a comfortable pair of black chinos and a maroon sweater, so there was no need to change. Grabbing her purse and putting on her shoes, she walked out of her flat pausing briefly to punch in her security code and lock the deadbolt on her door.

With her thoughts wandering, she walked down the street towards Interpol.

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One of the things she liked about her extremely small apartment was the fact that it only took her ten minutes to walk to work. She had decided she wanted the upper hand when speaking with Wagner, and that meant getting there before him.

She walked into the building, flashing her badge and a smile to the two security guards. She punched in her security code and pressed her finger onto a scanner, proceeding into the locked corridor after the door clinked open. Walking over to the elevator, she pressed the up button. The doors opened and she stepped in and slid in her security card, pushing the button for the sixth floor. She could feel her heart pounding as she waited for the doors to close.

"Great snakes! Hold the elevator!" A voice called out, startling her. She put her hand in between the elevator doors and looked out.

"Come on Snowy, we made it," said a young boy. Emily thought he looked to be about sixteen, and was accompanied by a small, white dog. "Thank you miss, I hope we didn't inconvenience you."

"No problem, where are you headed?" Emily asked, eyeing him up. He pulled out a visitor pass and shoved it into the card reader. "Is someone supposed to be accompanying you up?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. My name's Tintin, and this is my best pal Snowy. Say hello Snowy!" The white dog barked at her, tugging at her pant leg. She bent down and patted him on the head briefly. "We're here to meet a Dr. Wagner. Mr. Easter met with me yesterday as I assisted Detective Thomson and Detective Thompson on a recent case. Do you know them?"

"Ah yes, I've worked with them briefly," Emily answered, smirking at the name of the two. They were quite the pair, and frankly Emily wondered why they were still employed. "You wouldn't be meeting Dr. Ronald Wagner, would you?"

"Yes, that's right! Do you know the doctor as well ma'am?"

"It's Emily, Emily Prentiss. Yes, I was asked to meet him here earlier," Emily explained. "I'm a colleague of Clyde's. Pleased to meet you."

The boy nodded. "I don't know about you, but I'm more than a little curious on why we've been called down. A real mystery!"

Emily admired the sparkle in his eyes, and remembered how she had been that excited when she had first started at the Bureau. "I'm sure we'll find out together soon then. And you're right, it's a little odd. I can't believe I agreed to meet him."

The elevator dinged, and opened on the sixth floor. Tintin held an arm out for Emily to go first, putting his leg in front of Snowy who was eager to get out of the large steel box. She smiled at his kind gesture, and led him over to the conference room. Not surprisingly, Clyde Easter was waiting inside, his eyes glossing over a pile of papers.

"Hello Mr. Easter, long time no see," Tintin said in greeting. "I've had the pleasure of meeting your friend Emily."

"Hello Emily, it's been awhile," Clyde rose, going to shake her hand. He knew she always kept things professional when they were at work. "Such a small building and yet we hardly see each other, a pity really."

"Clyde, nice to see you," Emily replied, returning his hand shake. "So do we get answers soon? Dr. Wagner said he had spoken to you earlier about us meeting. I wasn't aware we would have company." She flashed a smile at Tintin, hoping she hadn't offended him. She liked the kid.

"Well, I wouldn't want to begin without the head maestro," the Brit answered, checking his watch. "He should be here any minute." He nodded to the door behind them."

Turning around, Emily looked up and noticed a small man with a cane. But it was the person to his left that really caught her interest, and he was as surprised as her.

"Hotch?"


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: If you're still with me, I appreciate it. Many of you may not be familiar with Tintin, so I apologize about that. It shouldn't affect the understanding that much hopefully. For the Jurassic Park stuff, I'm going to stick with the movie version because I think that's what most people are familiar with. Oh, and slight spoiler warnings from the Season 8 season finale of CM._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds, Tintin or Jurassic Park. The characters being used are for non-profit purposes only._

"Hotch?"

The man in question simply blinked at her surprise. "Hello Pr-Emily. It's been a while." He held out his hand.

She felt like an idiot, just standing there staring. He didn't seem to be surprised at all, and she noted the slip of her last name. Finally she got her act together and grabbed his hand, shaking it briefly. Of course he would keep things professional in public. "What are you doing here?"

His answer was interrupted by the man with the cane stepping in front of her. "Ah you must be Emily! I'm Ronald Wagner, very pleased to meet you finally."

Emily nodded and shook his hand. "Dr. Wagner, would you care to explain what the situation is? And why the FBI is involved?" She gestured at Hotch, who raised an eyebrow. "Not that I'm not excited to see an old friend, but I'm confused."

"Ah my dear, of course. Let's all sit down. Mr. Easter, did you receive the files I sent you this morning?" Wagner gestured towards the conference room computer.

Clyde nodded and handed the older man a slide advancer. "All set. If you don't need anything else, I have mountains of paperwork I need to attend to."

"No no, nothing else. Thank you so much for being so accommodating, otherwise I don't think I would have had the pleasure of speaking with Emily," Wagner admitted, smiling sheepishly at the brunette. "I don't want to keep you. I promise we'll take good care of her."

Emily frowned as Clyde rose and walked towards the exit. He nodded to her, and slipped out the door. What the hell was going on?

"Emily, please take a seat next to Mr. Tintin and we'll get started," Wagner asked.

Emily turned to the young boy who smiled cheerfully at her and pulled out the chair next to him. His white dog was currently curled up on the floor by his feet. She nodded and sat down, sneaking a look at her former Unit Chief who was still standing.

Wagner seemed to catch the look, and gestured at Hotch. "Please Agent Hotchner, have a seat. We're all friends here, there's no need to be anxious."

Hotch nodded, and hesitantly took a seat next to Emily. "Go ahead Dr. Wagner, I think everyone is anxious to hear the details."

Wagner nodded and hit the slide advancer, and the screen lit up. "As you all know, InGen was involved in a series of, shall we say, poorly executed events that occurred about twenty years ago. " An image of a Tyrannosaurus Rex showed up on screen. "This was our biggest competition. Due to the events on Isla Nublar, the island was abandoned. But we have been maintaining satellite imaging and conducting the occasional flyover to track the advancement of the animals."

"Dr. Wagner, you're implying that there are still dinosaurs on the island?" Tintin asked in shock, eyes widening.

"Yes Mr. Tintin, they are alive and well. From the higher rate of breeding from the carnivores, the numbers of each species has been somewhat limited over the last little while. But there are still quite a few herds that seem to be doing quite well." Wagner clicked to the next slide, showing an image of the satellite photos. "As you can see, about a third of the island is inhabited by various species."

Emily frowned, fidgeting with her hands. She was getting anxious and just wanted him to get to the point, not sit through a slideshow of photos of dinosaurs. She froze when Hotch touched her hand, and she shot him a look. He just stared ahead, removing his hand quickly.

"And now you are probably all wondering why I have asked you here today. Two months ago we decided to try and initiate reclamation of the island and InGen headquarters." He snapped to another picture of a satellite image of a building. "This is where the teams were sent, the old control rooms of Jurassic Park. It holds the key to reactivating many security features that were pertinent to the investigation. But we had underestimated one thing when we dispatched the team." A photo of a burly, blonde man came up on screen. "At approximately two thirty am five days ago, the head of security Samuel Pincher went rogue and murdered ten men and women in their sleep."

Tintin gasped. "Why would he do that Doctor?"

"At this point, we think he may be working with one of the head biologists to try and obtain samples of DNA, for his own monetary benefit. Greed can be a strong thing Mr. Tintin, and we've had many problems with it in the past." Wagner shook his head solemnly.

"How did you confirm that he isn't working alone?" Hotch asked. Emily nodded in agreement.

"We got very lucky." The slide advanced to another photo of a short, young blonde woman. "Margaret Coolidge, a member of the defense team, managed to escape during the attack and contact us through a satellite phone. She confirmed that Pincher had murdered most of the team, and she had witnessed Dr. Wayne Downey being spared." A photo of a middle aged, dark haired man with glasses flashed onto the screen.

"Isn't it possible that Pincher is working alone and is using Downey against his will? Threatening to kill him unless he helps Pincher get what he needs?" Emily proposed.

"Unfortunately, we don't know. Maggie barely escaped with her life and we haven't been able to contact her since. All we know is that she relocated to a medical facility approximately five kilometers away from the compound and has adequate food and water for a month. We managed to tell her we would come in to extract her, but then we lost contact."

"So she's out there alone? Poor woman," Tintin exclaimed. "How do we help Doctor?"

"The goal would be to extract Maggie, and stop Pincher and Downey regardless of whether or not they are working together. This is where your expertise comes in Agents," Wagner nodded towards Hotch and Emily. "We need to understand what these men are thinking and stop them."

"So you want us to profile them?" Emily asked. "Why not bring in the entire team then?"

Hotch cleared his throat. "The invitation was offered to the team, but they're working on a case right now. Serial killer out of Utah, 10 murders in the last month," he explained. "I was requested by the Director to attend the meeting. Dave is handling things."

Emily nodded, understanding that if the Director requested something then Hotch likely didn't have a say in the matter. One of the many reasons she hated politics in her old job.

"Of course having the entire BAU team would have been extremely advantageous, but I settled for the next best thing. I know you haven't lost your talents Emily," Wagner said, winking at her. "As for Mr. Tintin, he has had great success at such a young age and has aided in capturing some of the most elusive international criminals."

Tintin nodded shyly. "Snowy and I do our best, don't we boy?" The white dog barked in agreement.

"I think you will make a fine addition. Now, let's discuss some logistics." Wagner clicked to the next slide showing an outline of the island. "You three and a team of highly trained in tactical defense will first attempt to get Maggie out, and set up a strategic planning area in the medical compound. Don't worry, the team has defended from attacks from the park animals before, so you will be very safe. From there you'll try to take down Pincher and Downey any way that you see fit. "

"So you want the three of us going in guns blazing and take this guy down?" Emily was not very confident at the sound of the mission goals.

"Yes, and don't forget to try and not get eaten," Wagner chuckled. Emily and Hotch were not amused. "I have full confidence that you will be able to complete the mission. We can't afford to have the data Pincher is after getting into the wrong hands."

Emily glanced at Hotch and caught his eye. She was on the fence about the mission. It sounded crazy and dangerous, and she didn't have a death wish. And she had responsibilities "I run a team here in London, so I don't know if I can afford to just drop everything and come along."

Wagner nodded. "Ah yes, I was made aware of that. I was informed that Clyde was willing to step in and oversee things while you were away if need be. So the choice is up to you."

She sighed. How is it that so much of this had been planned over her head? She didn't like the fact that so many decisions were already being put into place. "I need a minute here to think. Will you excuse me?" She rose from her chair and walked out of the room.

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Emily paced back and forth, wringing her hands nervously. This was a big decision, and she couldn't just say yes right away without it making her look like a complete crazy person.

"Emily."

She jumped, turning around to look at Hotch, who was standing in the doorway to her office. "God, you scared me. What's up?"

"We took a break. I wanted to come and see what you were thinking, and to properly say hello." He moved closer to her.

She smiled, nodding. "I've missed you guys. I spoke to Garcia today, she said everything was going well."

"It's been going as good as you'd expect. Blake is fitting in well. We're still getting over the loss of Erin, it's been tough on Dave." He took her hand. "I'm sorry you couldn't get away for the funeral."

She looked at their hands, and pulled him closer. "Me too. We started off in a rough way, but she was a great woman and I had a lot of respect for her."

Hesitating, she looked at him. He had touched her twice now, and she was just standing there like an idiot. Slowly, she leaned in and wrapped her arms around him briefly and went to pull back. But his arms went around her and trapped her there.

"I missed you Emily," he said quietly, and then released her. "It was hard losing you twice and not being able to do anything about it."

"I know, but I didn't have a choice. I needed a change. I wanted to be happy." She smiled sadly at him. "It doesn't mean I don't think about it though. You were both my friend and my family. It was a hard decision."

He nodded. "I understand. So what do you think of this? I won't do it unless you agree to it as well. I need you on this team."

"I don't know, it's just so bizarre. Why us? Why not just go in there and take them down by themselves?"

"I think it's because of Pincher's background. He used to work as an Agent for ten years. I remember meeting him at a conference, a few years before you started." Hotch frowned, thinking back to the moment. "He seemed friendly enough, but of course that was a long time ago."

Emily nodded. "People do change. And if someone offered him a price big enough, that would have been enough to sway his loyalty. If he's changed so much it may make it harder to profile him."

"We would need to locate Maggie, she would be one of the few people to know him well enough. Wagner mentioned to me they had worked together for a number of years planning this project," Hotch explained.

"If she's still alive, she would be a major asset," Emily admitted. "Are you sure about this? You want to risk leaving Jack knowing there's a good chance you may not come back?"

Hotch frowned. "I do it every case Emily. He knows that I have a responsibility. And it's not just him anymore that I would be leaving. But yes, I'm confident in the tactical team accompanying us. I had a look at their profiles and they have a lot of experience."

Emily swore to herself. Ten minutes alone with him and she was already screwing up. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to accuse you of anything." She looked at him seriously. "If you're sure, then I will do it. Even if you didn't want to go, I know the Director would order you to." She knew something this high of a profile for the Bureau wouldn't be ignored by a simple dismissal of the offer.

Hotch nodded. "It was made clear before I left that I had little choice in the matter. But I do want you with us Emily. You're an accomplished profiler and amazing at what you do. We need you."

She smiled at him. "Ok, ok, enough ass kissing. I just need to talk to Jamieson, he's my second in command for the team. I'd rather have him taking over during my absence than Clyde. He knows the team better." She glanced at her watch. "See you back there in ten minutes?"

"Sure, take your time." Hotch turned for the door, but Emily caught his hand.

"I just want to let you know I'm glad you're here," she said, smiling. "And I couldn't do this without you either. Let's just try not to get killed, ok?"

He smirked, nodding in agreement. "I'll do my best Prentiss. You better watch my back when a T-Rex is chasing me down." He winked at her and slipped out the door.

She shook her head. She always had his back. Collecting herself, she walked out of her office. What was she getting herself into?


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: Love it? Hate it? Feel free to leave a review so I know what you think. All mistakes are my own. Thanks for reading!_

_Disclaimer: See Chapter 1._

"Yes, I spoke with her. No, she agreed to it. Yes, I wasn't expecting it to take so long. Ok, I love you too, let me talk to Jack." Hotch nodded to Emily as she passed him in the hall.

She gave him a small smile and stared at his phone. It had been awhile since she had spoken to the younger Hotchner. At the start of her time in London she had sent a few small souvenirs for JJ to give to Henry and Jack and heard that they were both extremely pleased by the gifts.

"Hey buddy, how's everything going?" Hotch asked, a smile creeping onto his face when he heard his son's voice. "Are you having fun with Beth?" He chuckled as the boy shouted in excitement over the phone. "Hey buddy, do you remember my friend Emily? She used to work with me."

Emily's eyes widened and stepped back. She held up a hand while Hotch shook his head. "Yeah she's here with me Jack. She's going to help me with the mission. You want to say hi?" He handed her the phone.

"I didn't mean to interrupt," she said guiltily, taking the phone.

"It'll only take a minute, no worries. He wanted to talk to you," he assured her.

She put the phone to her ear. "Hello?"

"Miss Emily! I miss you! Are you having fun with Daddy?"

"I miss you too Jack. Yes I'm really happy your Dad is here with me, I missed him." Oh god, too much information. "How is school going?"

"It's ok, I'm not doing very good in math but Beth said she would help me while Daddy has to be away," the boy answered. "Do you think that Daddy will really be able to ride a dinosaur? That would be so cool!"

"I don't know about that, but I will be there to make sure he doesn't fall off," Emily said, smiling at the boy's short attention span. "But I don't think we will be able to."

"Daddy told me it will be serious business," Jack said, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Miss Emily, will you come visit me after?"

She looked at Hotch briefly, and then turned away. "I don't know buddy, I'll try."

"Please? I miss you and you can come play with me and Daddy and Beth. Please Miss Emily!"

"I'll tell you what Jack. If your Daddy and I finish the serious business early, I will try to come and visit you," she conceded.

"Promise?"

She looked at Hotch and smiled. "I promise."

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Emily sat in the boardroom chair staring at the door. She had handed the phone back to Hotch so that he could finish his conversation with his son in private. But she had to admit, hearing the boy's voice had made her extremely happy. It reminded her of happier times in her career.

"So how long have you known Agent Hotchner?" Tintin questioned, fidgeting in his chair to the left of her.

"For about seven years, give or take a few months. But he did work for my mother quite a few years ago. We weren't acquainted then unfortunately." She gestured to the small white dog lying down by his feet. "How long have you had Snowy?"

"We've been best pals for about six years now, haven't we boy?" The white dog barked in response. "Never regretted one second of it. He's gotten me out of some really sticky situations."

Emily nodded, changing the subject. "Did Dr. Wagner say when he might be returning? We should probably get a move on here." She shot Hotch a small smile as he entered the room.

"He mentioned something about ordering us lunch." Hotch replied, sliding into the chair next to her. "So it shouldn't be long. I would say wheels up in the morning at this rate."

She hesitated, picking her nails as she thought about her next words. "So is everything ok?"

"Yes, it should be fine. Beth has things under control," he confirmed. "He really enjoyed your conversation. I think he misses you."

"Well, to be honest I didn't think he would remember me. It's been awhile." She looked down at her hands. "Definitely my fault though." She looked down at her hands, continuing to fidget.

Hotch reached over and pried her hands away. "Emily, both you and I know it's no one's fault. Criminal's don't take days off unfortunately." He released her hand slowly. "But it would be nice to get a call now and then."

"Hmm, well tell you what. We get this show on the road and I will take a week off when we return and come back with you to Quantico."

He nodded. "Sounds like a plan. You did promise to my son after all, and he will hold you to that."

"I'm sure he will. And I don't make many promises I can't keep." She checked the clock on the wall anxiously. "I wonder what's taking so long."

"We're here my dear!" The door swung open and the smell of fish and chips wafted through the room. Wagner entered the room with his hands full of to-go bags. "I felt like being a little cliché while I'm here. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all," Emily said shaking her head. "But if you don't mind, I suggest we talk and eat. I'm sure Maggie would appreciate some haste on our part."

"Of course my dear, take a seat and I will explain the logistics."

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Emily stared at the list of items for the mission while she sat on her bed. They had been dismissed an hour earlier and Wagner had agreed that the early morning would be the best time to leave. In eight hours their lives were about to be turned upside down, so a good night's sleep was expected of them. She had just shaken her head and grabbed Hotch's suitcase when he insisted he would stay at a hotel with Tintin.

She lifted her head at a knock on the door. "Come in."

Hotch poked his head into the room. "Hey, have you finished going through everything?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I'm just re-reading everything. Am I the only one that thinks twenty grenade launchers is overkill?"

"You can never be over-prepared in this kind of situation I suppose." He stared at her, eyes dropping to the bed. "Do you mind?"

She blushed a little bit, hoping he wouldn't notice. It was a well-known secret between her, JJ and Penelope that their Unit Chief had been the subject of her interest for a few years. But too many things had stood in the way of her pursuing that, and he had someone else that loved him now. And she was happy for him. "Sure, if you promise you keep your hands to yourself." She covered her mouth as she blurted out the latter phrase. "Sorry, I didn't mean-"

"It's fine Emily," he said, smirking. "I know what a joke is. I'm not a complete Grinch yet." He sat on the edge of her bed, searching her bedroom with his eyes. "You have a nice place here."

"It's a little small, but by London standards it's impressive. I got lucky I guess. I hope you'll be ok on the couch."

"We're not sharing the bed?" He laughed as her hand swatted at him. "Relax Emily, I'm just teasing you. Yes it'll be fine. I've taken my fair share of couches over the years. Reid kicks in his sleep."

"Hmmm, well I hope it won't be too cramped." She paused, swinging her legs to sit next to him while trying to leave some space. "Are we complete idiots to do this?"

"I don't think idiot is the right word, but we're something."

"Yeah, we're something all right." She poked his toe with her own. "We should probably get to sleep. Big day tomorrow."

He nodded, rising from his seat. "Can you set your alarm for four am? We could talk maybe before we leave."

Talk? "Sure. Nothing depressing though. Otherwise we'll be screwed the minute we step foot on that plane."

"I'll take that under consideration. Goodnight Emily."

She smiled at him. "Goodnight...Aaron."

He raised an eyebrow at her, but she just smirked. "I figured since you've stopped with the 'Prentiss', I should probably try to drop the formalities. No need to keep things….tense. We're friends after all, and most friends call each other by their first names."

Nodding, he shot her a smile and walked out the door. "Of course. I'll see you in the morning."

She followed him and closed the door. Sighing, she sat down on her bed and folded up her papers. Sinking under the covers, she stared at her ceiling.

Slowly she drifted off into a restless sleep, dreaming of a little blonde boy making her promise over and over again that she wouldn't let his daddy die.


End file.
